Historically ignorant and cynical politicians feigned outrage on Wednesday at President Trump’s proposal of a military parade in 2018. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) insisted, “I think confidence is silent and insecurity is loud. America is the most powerful country in all of human history; you don’t need to show it off.” Rep. Adam Smith (D-CA) preened, “A military parade of this kind would also be a departure from the values of our constitutional democracy.” Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Ted Lieu (D-CA) glibly observed, “Because authoritarian regimes like Russia and North Korea hold massive military parades does not mean that we must as well.”
The regular occurrence of military parades in the United States seems to have escaped the lightly-educated fake news media as well. “Trump’s Military Parade Draws Bipartisan Rebuke,” reported Politico. The typically hysterical Washington Post, where democracy dies in darkness, reported as news, not commentary, “Military Parades Are About Ego and Power. Of Course Trump Wants One.” WPXI News lamented, “Trump Flirts With Flashy Military Parade Long Eschewed By US.”
Contrary to fake news reports, the United States has held massive, flashy military parades since at least 1865. Subsequent public displays of military might, including tanks, missiles, and hundreds of thousands of troops occurred in 1919, 1942, 1946, 1953, 1957, 1961, and 1991.
Also contrary to mainstream media headlines, it wasn’t so long ago that military parades ranked among the few issues to draw bipartisan support. No less a Democrat than Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) vocally supported a military parade on American soil as recently as 2014. The camera-happy senator’s call to arms stirred even New York’s Bolshevik Mayor Bill De Blasio, who proclaimed, “The brave men and women who have selflessly served our nation with courage and skill in Iraq and Afghanistan deserve a recognition for their sacrifice. I stand with Sen. Schumer in his call for a parade to honor our veteran heroes, and New York City would be proud to host this important event.”
Of course, Sen. Schumer has never been known for his consistency. As Democrats insist over the coming weeks that military parades are somehow un-American, let this clip serve as a reminder that those accusations, like so many others leveled at the Trump White House, are nothing more than the craven lies of political losers.